


The Only Difference

by slightlyjillian



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-05
Updated: 2014-07-05
Packaged: 2018-02-07 14:26:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1902414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slightlyjillian/pseuds/slightlyjillian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Episode 1x03 Earth Kills-AU.  "Kings and Queens, that's who we are," Murphy said. "Now they'll tell stories about us."</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Only Difference

**Author's Note:**

> One could say that Bellamy's internal compass shifted in the last scenes of episode three. I've always been curious what things would have looked like if Bellamy had kept his original core group together. This is simply a brief 'what if' that I wanted to indulge. Please enjoy and thanks for reading.

Finding Bellamy Blake shouldn't have been hard, but he had a way of sliding into the shouting crowd and disappearing from sight. In the rain and slick dirt, everyone became so muddy that all the uncovered heads seemed dark-haired. 

It had tasted so good on the tongue. Refreshing like water. Repeating the chant. "Whatever the hell we want."

Fox pulled Mbege into the thick of everything. The unruly movement of arms and shoulders, everyone looking for the one face that inspired them into such a frenzy but no one seeing. It didn't matter. Bellamy's presence was _contagious_ , contained in those words. 

Eventually, Murphy determined to look for Bellamy in the quiet places. 

"You said that you had a plan or something," Murphy asked, surprising himself with the genuine curiosity leaking into his tone. 

"Are you going to always follow me?" Bellamy leaned away, pulling further into the shadows. For all the ruckus he had caused, Bellamy remained still and subdued.

"Now?" Murphy puzzled. 

A flash of light brightened the space long enough to find Bellamy's sardonic smile. "Sure, why not now? And tomorrow. And maybe next week, too."

A joke, Murphy realized rolling his eyes. A wasted effort as the light evacuated before a terrifying rumble that roared through the sky. "Whoa," Murphy chuckled, looking up and peering toward the clouds through squinted eyes. "What the hell do I want? I suppose this'll do… Boss."

"Okay, the first issue is Wells," Bellamy balanced, relaxed and arms crossing. His chin tucked. "We'll either need him to see things our way or someone will need to take his…"

Murphy interrupted, "Of course, obviously. Not a good idea for you to dirty your hands down here when half of this crowd was only serving time for childish pranks. Do you want to make an example of him? Diggs knows some creative ways to…"

"What are you getting at?" Bellamy held out one hand. "We're not going to kill him…" Bellamy's voice went funny. "No, down here we'll want that brute strength of his under our control. He'll either take off that wrist band voluntarily or we'll take it off. Find a few others that you trust, and then meet me back here."

For a few seconds neither of them moved. Murphy calculated his position considering the options. Clearly Bellamy didn't have support. But he did have crowd charming charisma in excess. And every good leader needed his watchdog. Wisely, Bellamy let Murphy have his silence. Bullshit wouldn't work on him, as much as Murphy was keen to see it nailed onto the rest of the juvenile delinquents.

"Can do," Murphy accepted, then allowed Bellamy to dismiss him.

Murphy strolled back toward the noise and the mess and the confusion. With each step confidence settled over the ground and the electric air blew along opportunity. Murphy didn't mind hitching his stars to Bellamy's comet. He might be a smooth talking dick, but he was Murphy's and that made all the difference.

.:.

"Roll call," Murphy quipped. He knelt on the open drop ship ramp and pointed at his lineup of allies with a long blade of grass. Bellamy stood, leaning against the door-frame. The new morning was damp with promise. The undisciplined teens had either gone exploring or were fighting amongst themselves to establish pecking order. Murphy indulged himself watching the small, solid group from the Sky Box who he'd come to think of as friends.

"Atom," Murphy pointed, slow and measured. "Too smart for his own good. Found a way to cheat the rationing system which got him locked up. He counts cards, so don't gamble with him."

Roma chuckled. She nudged her elbow into Mbege's gut in an effort to get the big guy to relax. Mbege coughed and reluctantly shifted his unblinking attention away from Bellamy. Atom quietly watched the activity then gave Bellamy one, quick nod.

"Roma, she's good at keeping secrets. Not so good at lying." Murphy rubbed the itch at his nose. Damn allergies. He had overheard Clarke mention a similar sinus problem going around the camp. He hadn't tracked down their homemade remedy… yet.

"What did you get locked up for?" Bellamy asked Roma, with an unexpected playfulness. Murphy leaned back to catch the flirtatious smirk cross the older boy's expression. 

"Murder," Roma deadpanned. Or tried to. Her eyes laughed, betraying everything. 

"I'll keep that in mind." Bellamy managed to keep his reaction schooled. 

"Murder is Mbege's specialty," Murphy waved his hand toward Mbege who had started to blush. "He doesn't talk much. Which is kind of a nice change considering this lot. But if you give him a hard time for being gay, one of us will kill you for him."

After a brief silence, Bellamy said, "Did you think that was going to be a problem?"

"Just don't break his heart," Roma mock groaned. "He goes around strangling people in his sleep."

Mbege huffed as Atom reached over to run a hand along Mbege's head. It was easy to like the big guy, and Murphy didn't often choose to like people or so quickly. He considered Bellamy. Maybe Murphy was going soft to let someone new win him over so fast. 

"Brute strength," Diggs interrupted, sounding posh and elite with a false nasal whinge. "If you want something with a little more _style_ , that's…"

"Diggs," Murphy said, standing. "He's dumb enough to get caught, so I don't know why he's bragging about his style of killing people."

Bellamy raised an eyebrow, giving Murphy his initial attention before returning to sweep his gaze over the others. Murphy sweated as if their performances might leave himself lacking in Bellamy's opinion. Not that Murphy cared. He could just walk away from this whole damn deal anytime.

"Good enough," Bellamy decided, issuing his orders. "You listen to Murphy. He listens to me. That's how it is." He spun to speak directly into Murphy's personal space. "Keep an eye out for any additional talent. Then report back to me."

"And where are you going to be?" Murphy called after Bellamy's surprisingly quick retreat for such a casual stride.

"Around," Bellamy dismissed.

"Looks like you have a crush, Johnny," Roma teased, crossing closer to Murphy as if Bellamy had a barrier they'd previously been obliged to respect.

"Can you blame me?" joked Murphy, maintaining an emotionless gaze with his closest friend. Then he cracked, letting the smirk finally appear. "Bellamy Blake sure is a piece of work. You all see it too."

"He definitely wasn't in the Sky Box," Atom analyzed. "He's different than the rest of us."

"Not that different," protested Roma. Mbege nodded as she continued, "There's something ruthless about him."

"The gun. That's all that makes him special," Diggs grumbled. He looped his arm over Roma's shoulder until she grabbed his throat, squeezing. "No nails, no nails please," whimpered Diggs. She released him with a warning snarl.

"Bellamy's _mine_ ," Murphy reminded, lifting his knife to inspect the edge. "If you have a problem with him, you have a problem with me."

.:.

"You're sleeping in late," Murphy announced, having lifted the corner flap of Bellamy's tent to find Roma still inside. She rolled over grumbling curses. Chuckling, Murphy slipped inside and indulged in spooning against her back. "Damn, you stink," he mumbled into her neck. He threw an arm around her waist and jostled her but gently. 

"Don't be ugly," Roma managed a few coherent words, forcefully shoving his hands into a more comfortable position for her. Murphy allowed himself to be hauled over her back pressing her into the one treasured space of warmth left in the bedding. She added, "No one smells good. Get used to it."

He wasn't sure if that was an order or an observation, so he indulged in an unguarded moment. "He's good to you, yeah?"

Roma's breathing went still. "Yeah," she said, finally.

"You would tell me?" Murphy challenged, raising his voice a little. She shushed him with a hiss. "I'm not _jealous_ ," he joked. "Just maybe let a guy know before his best friend disappears overnight."

"As if you don't always know where Bellamy is and who he's with," Roma snarked, clearly becoming more alert. Murphy flopped over on his back, waiting. Roma in a good mood was how he preferred things. Roma in a good mood needed a slow wake-up call. He studied the bent framing. The rippling material filtered the first light of day.

"Diggs was so disappointed," Murphy shared, wishing he could capture the look of disgust and dismay that had finally cracked the normally smug asshole's face. "Although, I'm not sure how we'll keep him in line if he's not pining after you."

"He'll _always_ pine," Roma reassured, rolling back into Murphy's space. "What's the deal with today? Do you need anything?"

"No," Murphy drawled. "Just checking in with my favorite girl."

"Your favorite anything," she corrected. "But Johnny, you know I don't kiss and tell. If you want to find out how big his…"

"Stop," Murphy announced. He hurried to cover her mouth and his eyes. 

"How big," Roma laughed, tugging at his fingers. "How big his… _plans_ are for this place. He's got no problem with you or us. We're all just fine. Relax. You did the right thing."

Murphy dropped his hand from her face, but she didn't let it fall keeping his fingers clasped in both of her hands. She gave him a small smile and kissed his fingers. 

She continued, "Who would have thought? Both of us? Two thieving, space rat orphans… on Earth?"

"Kings and Queens, that's who we are." Murphy sat up, reclaiming his hand as Roma released it. "Now they'll tell stories about us."

.:.

Bellamy doesn’t have to rule with a tight fist when he has Murphy pulling all of the strings. Bellamy doesn't have to raise a finger when he has Murphy to jump into a fight. Managing all of the dissent and factions between a hundred teenagers would become a full time job. Murphy established an inventory in the morning. Would send the others to handle the new issues during the day. And then he would crawl into his hammock before repeating the whole process. 

"The hammock is mine," Murphy stated coldly. He waited as Mbege rolled himself out of the stretched material. 

"Making sure no one took it," Mbege chuckled. "Which would you rather? I let someone else take it?"

"Mine." Murphy casually dropped into his favorite place, spreading out his arms and kicking his legs against the ground letting the hammock swing. 

"Fox says that a few of the Factory kids are starting to spread rumors," Mbege stated. "Saying that Bellamy's a coward. They remember him from the Ark or something."

"Well, you and Diggs go set the story right. He must have been very popular on that station with the whole sister thing." Murphy wrinkled his nose. Swiped at the incessant drip. "She's going to be a headache."

"John," Mbege warned, crossing his arms. "He would never let you hurt Octavia. She part of the package."

"I _hate_ extra baggage." Murphy watched a movement in the distance. Perhaps a wind shuffled the leaves there. Or they were being watched. A moment later and he observed the retreating figure. Tiny, with a tight blonde braid. "Who is that?"

Mbege only had to look briefly before saying, "Charlotte. She's really young."

"She's really nosy," Murphy corrected. He twisted pulling up his legs to lay back and closed his eyes. For all the troublesome pollen, the breeze carried a decidedly pleasant scent. Mbege didn't leave. 

"So you and Fox have been spending a lot of time together," Murphy revealed. "But not with the rest of us."

"Fox isn't taking sides yet," Mbege admitted. "But she's a bit of a free spirit in general."

"Don't let her drag you down," warned Murphy. Eventually, he opened one eye. "What other sides? Not Jaha Jr."

"No," Mbege hesitated. "Clarke."

.:.

At least the notion that Bellamy Blake was a coward had been snuffed out. Satisfying hunger would put Bellamy back on top of the pecking order. So after the day trip to find the kid with the goggles, Murphy had organized Roma and Diggs to coordinate the big cat barbeque. In turn, they recruited others, including Fox and another recurring tag-along who only spoke long enough to give her name as Monroe.

"I notice that our princess is still wearing her hand," Murphy complained, finding Bellamy once again retreating into isolation.

"Problem?" Bellamy grumbled, standing over Murphy and taking a step that forced him to back down.

Calculating how he wanted to respond, Murphy indulged in a smile. "She's trouble you know. But a medic with ten fingers is better than five. Don't worry. I get it." Murphy shrugged throwing out his arms in surrender. "Doesn't have anything to do with the fact that she's _cute_."

Bellamy scoffed, "Pretty sure you know that my interests lie elsewhere."

"Yeah, about Roma…" started Murphy.

"What's your deal with her?" Bellamy checked. 

"Nothing really. Common history," Murphy considered. All evidence indicated that Bellamy didn't really care about screwing or not screwing someone to keep allegiances. So the older guy must have some true curiosity to know Murphy's history on the Ark. 

He continued, "My dad. Her dad. They both were union men used by that Sydney woman. Diana. To protest the scabs. But when it didn't serve her purposes anymore, they were easy scapegoats. Who does the new Chancellor float? It didn't matter that the so-called anarchists used by these politicians were fathers or that floating them meant leaving a bunch of kids without…"

" _Shit_ ," Bellamy cursed. Murphy stopped breathing under the force of Bellamy's anger. 

"Huh. Life is shit, right? But you already know that," Murphy sniffed. Then quickly explained, "Allergies. This is allergies. Damn Earth plants."

Bellamy relaxed. "Didn't Clarke come up with something to fix that problem? We brought back Jasper. I figure she owes us something."

"Thanks," puzzled Murphy. "I'll be sure to tell her you said that."

"Hell, tell her whatever it takes. Just deal with the issue so that you're back to one hundred percent." Bellamy waved his hand, dismissing his audience of one. He leaned against a tree and tilted his head back, swallowing heavy. 

"Right, catch you later," Murphy acquiesced. "Don't forget to eat something."

Bellamy clicked his tongue. "You are such a nag. A useful nag."

Murphy laughed, "Just don't betray me."

.:.

"I see you moved your hammock," Roma announced. "Aren't you supposed to be defending the camp? What's got you in a sulk, Johnny?"

"Must be Bellamy's time of the month," Murphy grumbled. He had enjoyed spending more time outdoors after addressing the sinus issues. He could pitch the hammock outside the drop ship and tease some comfort from the daylight before the night chill drove it away.

"I heard about Atom breaking the rules," Roma nodded, leaning against the drop ship and playing with the material at the close end of the hammock. "But Bellamy let him go this morning. So didn't that take care of everything?"

"Hardly," Murphy complained. "Now he's pissed at me for some reason. All critical and frowning and leaving me behind…"

"Because he trusts you," she suggested. "Although, he probably isn't so keen on you sleeping the whole time when there are Grounders out there."

"Delegated. Mbege's carrying out _his majesty's_ commands." Murphy dropped out of the hammock. He nudged himself forward to push into Roma and set his cheek next to hers. "I wonder if we could do just as well without him. Didn't take long for that Finn guy to punch holes in Bellamy's logic. So Bellamy's mad. Mad about that. Which made him mad at Atom for the whole sister thing. He's losing it. I could do that sort of approach on my own. Roma, we could do this together."

"Johnny," Roma resisted, running her fingers through his hair in a prolonged, comforting gesture. "Give it a few minutes. They'll come around. Everyone likes Bellamy."

"But not me?"

"Not us, not so much," she chuckled. She pressed a dry kiss into his temple. "But that's okay, you see. We'll carry his sins for him, so that he can do what needs to be done to survive down here. That's why _you_ picked _him_ , remember?"

And in that moment, the dying kid chose to return to consciousness and continue screaming again.

Murphy danced back, bouncing on his feet. "He's definitely losing it if he can't even order a mercy kill for that damn kid."

"Bellamy said wait until tomorrow," Roma reminded.

Murphy reluctantly repeated, "Tomorrow." 

.:.

Tomorrow was too long to wait. He threw his shoulder into the hatch door and only earned more bruises for the effort. Although he had almost seen an inch give way on that effort. 

"Murphy, get down," Roma shouted, letting her voice become shrill over the shouting of the other kids. She had a surprising amount of strength as she tore his arms away and held him up as he dropped from the ladder.

Murphy resisted using his fists, although every muscle in his arms and shoulders rippled with adrenaline. "It's time, Roma," he growled. "We're going to have to do things now. Bellamy's _gone._ "

"Is that your problem, Johnny?" Roma reasoned. "He could still be alive out there, somewhere."

"In acid fog?" Murphy punched the words into her face. He couldn't grasp onto the objective confidence he'd had only minutes before. The fury had taken over and even the cold couldn't temper the red heat burning through his veins.

"And maybe it didn't reach the place where they're hunting," she retorted. "Am I right? You didn't even consider that possibility? You just got mad. Johnny, focus. What do you really want?"

"I want the same thing as everyone else down here," Murphy studied the faces of others. Some had roused themselves into a thick crowd watching events unfold. Others had stayed where they were in precious, minimal comfort of blankets and thin cushioned seats. 

"You wish Bellamy was here," Roma whispered. 

He scowled. "This had nothing to do with Bellamy. I just wanted to finish what he couldn't get started. That kid? He's just going to die later if not now."

Roma suggested quietly, "Why don't you go find Bellamy?" 

Murphy wavered at the thought of opening up the drop ship and exposing them all to the acid. He didn't want to die. But he needed to do _something_. He glanced up at the ceiling and the barrier between them, enough to keep Murphy out but nothing to block out the screams of the dying boy.

"Getting rid of me so I don't upset any more of the people around here?" he grumbled.

"Just redirecting your focus." Roma grabbed his neck and tugged him forward. "You picked him. You had your reasons for that. Don't give up just for one bad day."

Murphy faced his choice. "I'm not too keen on self-destruction." 

Things may have gone very differently if he hadn't thrown open the drop ship door and jumped into the woods. Obeying one of Bellamy's commands by disobeying another.

.:.

"I told you to stay at the camp," Bellamy said, once realizing who was standing next to him.

"The camp is fine," stated Murphy. 

The woods were still strangely yellow although the acid fog had long since rolled away. Everything had been quiet, until that kid-Charlotte-had started screaming and Jones had pointed Murphy to where Bellamy had stayed behind with Atom.

Atom had been blinded. The exposure had destroyed his body, rapidly, but not finished the job. 

"Bellamy," Murphy knelt. When he received no response, he bumped Bellamy's shoulder and nudged him to the side. "Bell," he tried again. "This is why you need me. For decisions like this. Use me."

"He's your friend," Bellamy whispered.

"Yes," Murphy agreed. "And a friend, a real friend, does what needs to be done. Let me." He took the knife and watched as Bellamy struggled to his feet. 

"Do it," Bellamy choked. He paced further away.

Murphy turned to Atom. "You deserve better than what you got," he said. "You were always too smart and too kind and…"

" _No_ , what are you doing?" It was Clarke. Murphy looked over to see Bellamy intercepting the blonde girl's approach. They continued to speak in hushed tones.

Murphy admitted, "This is fucked up." And he plunged the knife into Atom's chest. Too weak to react, Atom's head tilted back and Murphy had to close his eyes as he felt no pleasure in shoving deeper and deeper until he might have been inside Atom while his life chipped away.

When he opened his eyes, his forearms were splashed red above his blood-soaked fingers. Atom was gone, nothing of Murphy's friend was left in the acid destroyed shell. Perhaps it was shock, but Murphy marveled at how he felt… absolutely nothing. He might have knelt there, staring forever, except for Bellamy's hand reaching down to drag Murphy back up. 

Slick with blood and still holding the knife, he stood between the two candidates for camp leadership. Murphy waited for judgment from Earth's so-called Princess and the person who had been chosen as Murphy's King.

Bellamy said nothing, letting his eyes drift between Murphy and Clarke but never returning to the ground. Clarke hovered clutching her backpack and looking none the worse for however she had spent the past few hours. She fixed Murphy with a look that seemed satisfied with whatever she saw, if still aloof.

"I've got to get this to Jasper," she said. They all heard Finn calling her name then. She continued, "I'll send someone back to help with Atom." She left, but was not out of earshot before running into Charlotte. From the remnants of their conversation, Clarke was forcing everyone back to the camp.

Leaving Murphy with the consequences of what he had been willing to do. What he would become, and not just for himself, but for Bellamy.

"See," Bellamy said at last. He held out his arm, the patterns of his fingerprints and palms stained red from where he had gripped Murphy's hand. 

"What am I supposed to see?" Murphy grumbled. "I just did what had to be done. Once again something that you couldn't do."

"I get that," Bellamy shouted back. "I _know_."

They both stilled, remaining where they stood. Murphy hated the vulnerability of it all. He had never killed anyone before. It was eerily simple, if violent. He remembered the unchanging mews of pain. His muscles still recalled the struggling shoulders under his touch. Atom would have been in pain longer, still, if he hadn't acted

"I know," Bellamy repeated. "But the strangest thing is I needed to see his blood on my hands. Because this act? It's on me. Not you. On me."

Murphy snorted, "Whatever, fine. If you want to think about it that way, go ahead. You didn't know what to do. I did."

"Are we going to have a problem, Murphy?" Bellamy asked. He sighed. "I don't want to have a problem."

"Do you think that we have a problem?" Murphy replied. "I'm not like you now. I'm a killer." His voice blazed with an energy he couldn't use to lift his own arms if he tried. He felt drained.

"Well, you're reacting to it far better than I did."

Murphy blinked. And again, before turning his head to see Bellamy's earnest expression. Murphy chuckled, glibly, "So why did you kill somebody?"

"To get a seat on the drop ship."

.:.

"That could have been you, Johnny," Roma whispered. 

She had sat next to Murphy on the hillside overlooking their growing cemetery. Burying bodies in the ground seemed a wonderful gift for the dead. A strange permanent marker for Atom's life, rather than the vast, unending emptiness of space.

"Don't say that Bellamy's temper tantrum saved my life," Murphy sighed. "It cost Atom his."

"Definitely saved your life," she argued. "Atom was smart. If he couldn't survive then…"

"Dumb luck." Murphy shook his head, while allowing Roma to loop her arm through his. "That's the only difference in me sitting on the ground and him under it."

"And Jasper's still alive. Dumb luck," she agreed. "I know that Monty and Jasper were on your protection list once. Are you going to try for them again?"

"After I publicly tried to kill Goggles Boy?" he laughed. "Who knows? Maybe Bellamy could win them over. It won't be me. And even if Clarke doesn't have an issue with me killing Atom, she's got enough ammunition to knock me down to a second-class citizen."

"Temper," Roma warned. "Johnny, you're selling yourself short."

"No," Murphy shook his head. "Even if I've won over Bellamy, I've also let him irrevocably tie our destinies together. If he slips, I slip."

"But if you slip, he's going to pick you up. Always," Roma reminded. "That's something no one can take away from us. Mbege understands how things are. Even Diggs gets it. We're Bellamy's monsters now. He can't deny us."

They sat, quiet and entwined for as long as they could.

Until Bellamy found them. "There you are. Murphy. Roma," he greeted them. Then turned his head to take a deep breath while observing the graveyard. 

"We'll have plenty of time to mourn the dead," he consoled. "Let's make plans on how we can keep everyone alive."

Roma stood, brushing the dirt from her pants. She kissed Bellamy briefly before walking away toward the camp.

"Where's my kiss?" Murphy joked.

Bellamy chuckled, shaking his head. "Follow me."

And Murphy did.


End file.
